Bicycle trailers have become quite popular for carrying children and cargo. The bicycle trailers are hitched to the rear of the bicycle and towed therebehind.
Most previous hitches are connectable to the chain stay or to both the chain stay and the seat stay of the bicycle to retain the hitch arm of the trailer. Recently hitches have been introduced that secure into the rear axle of the bicycle. One such hitch is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,008 to Caffey.
Many hitches include complex arrangements for connection between the hitch arm and the hitch. In particular, the connection arrangements include pins that are passed through alignable apertures in the hitch arm and in the bracket that is attached to the bicycle. This procedure can be frustrating, as the trailer can be difficult to maneuver when grasping the end of the hitch arm.
In addition, previous hitches sometimes include complex universal joint arrangements including many interconnected parts and bearings. This increases the cost of the hitch to consumers.